Bottle-cap extractor



J. W. COLE.

BOTTLE CAP EXTRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT, 10, I919.

Patented May 24, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. COLE, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAINCOMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BOTTLEfCAP EXTRACTOR.

T 0 all to ham it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. Conn, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Stratford, in thecounty of Fairfield, 1n the State of Connecticut, United States ofAmerica, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-CapExtractors,of-which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to devices or implements which may be used toassist in the removal of caps from bottles and jars, as for example, thedisk shaped pasteboard caps of the type commonly used to seal milkbottles, and the object of my invention is to provide a simple andefiioient implement of this kind.

I show my invention embodied in several forms, but it is to beunderstood that these forms are illustrative embodiments only, and thatthe scope of my invention is not to be restricted to the details orparticular form herein shown and described but consists in the variousfeatures hereinafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of the device; Fig. 2is the bottom view of the device as shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3illustrates the manner of applying the device of Fig. 1 preliminary tothe extraction of a bottle cap; Fig. 1 is a side view of a modificationof my device and Fig. 5 is a side view of a still further modification.

My device consists essentially of two oppositely directed prongscombined with means for causing said prongs to exert thrusts in oppositedirections when they have been brought toward each other from apredetermined position.

Referring to Fig. 1, the prongs 1 and 2 may be made in any convenientway but I have shown them stamped out of the end of an elongated sectionof sheet metal which is bent centrally on itself at 3 to form the arms4: and 5, one of the arms, as for example the arm 5, being turnedoutwardly at right angles to form the extension 6 and the other of saidarms being turned outwardly to form the extension plate 7 The materialof the bend 3 which forms a connection between the arms should beresilient so that the arms 4 and 5 will. ofi'er a partial resistance topressure in the direction of each other and when such pressure has beenexerted will tend to restore themselves to Specification. of LettersPatent Patented May24, 1921.

Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,723.

their normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. The prongs 1 and 2 shouldpreferably be characterized by sufiicient hardness to enable them toretain points suiiiciently sharp to be serviceable.

The prongs 1 and 2 are preferably directed at a slight angle downwardlywith respect to the plane in which they originate, whereby the pointsonly of the prongs make the initial contact with the surface of the cap.The mode of applying the device for use is lllustrated in Fig. 3,wherein the mouth of a milk bottle of an ordinary and well known type islndicated at 8 and is closed by a pasteboard disk 9 fitting in theannular groove 10 in the bottle. The arms 4 and 5 have been broughttoward each other by manual pressure; and the prongs having been broughtinto contact with the cap 9, the arms 4: and 5 have been released,whereupon the prongs 1 and 2, being adapted by virtue of the resiliencyof the metal at the bend 3 to exert opposite thrusts with respect toeach other, have penetrated the cap, thus making the device serve as aconvenient handle for extracting the cap. The extensions 6 and 7 it willbe observed, are so located as to prevent excessive penetration of theprongs 1 and 2 and also to prevent the device from being turned on thepoints laterally of itself without raising the cap.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a modified means of exerting thrusts in oppositedirections and resistance to pressure of the arms. In this instance thearms are pivoted to each other at 11 and are held normally in extendedposition by the extension spring 12. The form shown in Fig. 5 is similarin construction and mode of operation to the form shown in Fig. 1, withthe exception that the arms are provided with extensions constitutingthe handles 13 and 1 1 which may be used, if desired, as a mediumthrough which to apply the force to bring the arms 4: and 5, toward eachother and further if desired, for handling the cap'when the latter hasbeen removed from the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bottle cap extractor comprising two arms extending from a commonconnection, means for normally maintaining said arms at a predeterminedangular distance from each other with respect to said connection,

said distance being such that the arms assume substantially an invertedV shape, the ends of said arms opposite said end connection beingprovided with outwardly projecting extensions and said extensions beingprovided with outwardly and downwardly extending prongs.

2. A bottle cap extractor comprising two arms extending from aresilientconnection to which they are rigidly united, said arms beingnormally maintained by said resilient connection in substantially aninverted V shape, the ends of said arms opposite said connection beingturnedoutwardly to form extensions and said extensions being providedwith outwardly and downwardly projecting prongs.

of said arms being thrust outwardly to form extensions said extensionsbeing located substantially in the same plane, and each being providedwith a prong extending from its lower surface, outwardly and downwardlyat a slight angle with respect to the plane of origin of said prong, andthat portion constituting the bend being of resilient material.

4. A bottle cap extractor comprising a strip of metal curved centrallyof itself to form two arms, the portion constituting the bend beingresilient, said arms being extended outwardly near their ends, and theextensions so formed being provided with outwardly and downwardlyprojecting prongs.

In testimony whereof I have signed this

